Crime
Milford Haven man jailed after drunken attack on partner and police officers
A MILFORD HAVEN man who launched a violent drunken assault on his partner before attacking two police officers has been jailed for three years and six months.
Alexander Campbell was sentenced on Wednesday (Dec 17) at Swansea Crown Court after admitting causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard that Campbell had been in a relationship with his partner, for six years. On the night of the offence, he returned home highly intoxicated and became argumentative.

The counsel for the prosecution told the court that his partner advised Campbell to go upstairs and sleep off the alcohol. Instead, he began poking her and told her not to tell him what to do.
Campbell then launched what his partner described as “a flurry of punches that rained down on her.”
Neighbours contacted police after hearing the disturbance. When officers arrived, they found a smashed bowl on the floor and his partner lying on the sofa under a blanket, covering her face.
Body-worn camera footage played in court showed Campbell threatening officers, telling them: “I will turn this place into a f***ing murder scene.”
As officers attempted to separate the parties, PC Thomas placed her arm out to create distance. Campbell grabbed her wrist with force, an assault captured on body-worn video.
He then attacked PC Jones, climbing on top of him and punching him repeatedly, again recorded on police body-worn footage.
PC Thomas later attended Withybush Hospital, where she received four stitches under local anaesthetic. Campbell’s partner suffered severe facial bruising, with one eye swollen almost shut.
The court was told that his partner ten-year-old daughter was upstairs at the property during the incident.
Campbell has 27 previous offences. In mitigation, the court heard that he accepted alcohol turned him into a different person, telling the court: “I’m an ugly person when I drink. I’m a different person when I’m sober.”
Sentencing Campbell, the judge said he knew better than anyone how alcohol affected him.
“You came home in a bad mood and almost predictively, you assaulted her,” the judge said.
“The noise and aggression was such that the neighbour called the police.”
“You gave her a bruise on her face that can only be described as a large shiner.”
“In short, you have injured three people. Your conduct was utterly pathetic, like an overgrown child.”
The judge also referred to Campbell’s violent history, describing him as a “cowardly bully.”
While acknowledging that Campbell had previously complied well with a suspended sentence after removing his own alcohol tag, the judge said custody was unavoidable.
Campbell was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, with half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.
Warning him about his future, the judge added: “If you carry on with this behaviour you will spend a lifetime in prison. The only person who can change this is you.”
The court also granted a restraining order for five years.
Speaking after the sentencing Temporary Superintendent Louise Harries said: “These officers were responding to a call to help a domestic violence victim, and their focus was on protecting that victim and bringing the offender to justice. No one should go to work fearing they will be assaulted, especially when they are working hard to keep others safe. This was a violent attack on officers simply doing their job. We welcome the outcome at court and the custodial sentence which will protect the victim from further harm. It also reiterates the point that assaults on emergency service workers will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.”
Crime
Local carpenter retains driving licence despite previous ban
A Herbrandston carpenter has been allowed to keep his driving licence despite a previous driving disqualification for using his mobile phone whilst driving.
Addressing District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week, Simon Shaw stressed the disqualification was having a major impact on his work commitment as well as his ability to support members of his family.
“If the ban continues, at least two of my five employees will have to be lost” said Shaw, who works as a self-employed carpenter operating from Herbrandston and the Milford Haven Industrial Estate.
“We travel throughout the whole of West Wales and also work at Thorne Island, where we’ve been providing logistical support for renovations for the last four years.”
Shaw, of Triplestone Close, Herbrandston, went on to say that his business has only one other driver who works as a reserve fire fighter.
“As a result, he’s not available to provide the 24 hour cover we provide to various care homes in the county,” he said.
Simon Shaw concluded by stating that his daughter is also dependent on his support having recently given birth to twins while his son-in-law and his partner’s mother are both currently undergoing serious healthcare treatments.
“I’m trying to provide as much logistical support for them as I can, but without my driving licence, this is impossible,” he said.
After listening to his comments, Judge Layton granted Shaw permission to retain his licence.
Crime
Delivery driver caught twice over legal drink-drive limit
A DELIVERY driver has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel when he was over twice the legal drink-drive limit.
Twenty-nine year old Sam Rowe was stopped by officers just before 9.30 am on April 20 as he drove his Vauxhall Vivaro along Ferry Lane in Pembroke Dock.
“His speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week.
“There was also a strong smell of intoxicants emanating from him.”
When spoken to by the officers, Rowe stated he’d drunk a pint of alcohol approximately an hour before being stopped, however subsequent breathalyser tests showed he had no less than 75 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.
Rowe, of Hazel Close, Pontypool, pleaded guilty to the offence and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher who informed the court that the defendant was holidaying in Pembrokeshire at the time of the offence.
“His daughter fell ill and he was attempting to find painkillers for her at a supermarket,” he said. “He’s very remorseful and is now going to lose his job as a delivery driver.”
Rowe, who has no previous convictions, was disqualified from driving for a total of 20 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.
Crime
Police tip-off leads to driving ban for Milford motorist
A PEMBROKESHIRE motorist has lost his licence after police received information that the 40-year-old male may have been driving under the influence of drugs.
This week Haverfordwest Magistrates court was told that at around 8.30pm on November 22 officers received a call informing them that Michael Miles was suspected of driving his Peugeot Bipper through Milford Haven after consuming drugs.
Miles was subsequently stopped on Marble Hall Road and when spoken to by the officers, he informed them that he was a drug user. A saliva sample tested positive for cocaine while further tests carried out at the police station showed that Miles had 760 mcg of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in his system, the legal limit being 50.
Miles, of Milford Road, Steynton, chose to be legally unrepresented in court and pleaded guilty to the drug-driving charge.
The probation service said he was very remorseful for the offence and has since had appointments with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service to help him deal with his drug usage. Miles was served with an interim driving disqualification however as a result of his previous non-payment of fines, his punitive sentencing was adjourned to Thursday, May 7.
“If you pay your outstanding fines before Thursday, you will be fined for this offence,” warned District Judge Mark Layton. “But if you don’t pay, you will be given a custodial sentence.”
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